The Phoenix Mercury will finish their three-game homestand with two games this week, including the anticipated conclusion of their series against the Indiana Fever.
Phoenix will welcome the Chicago Sky on Tuesday, July 7, and the Fever on Thursday, July 9, before traveling to Las Vegas to take on the Aces on July 11.
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Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso broke a WNBA record for the most field goals without a miss in a 124-94 win over the Portland Fire on June 26, going 13-for-13 from the floor with 30 points.
The Mercury defeated the Sky, 91-83, on May 15.
Two weeks after the contentious two-game set in Indianapolis, the Mercury will host the Fever in Phoenix for the first and final time this season.
The teams garnered a lot of attention in each game, with six technical fouls, one ejection and a viral moment between Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner and Fever’s Sophie Cunningham in the first meeting. But the second game ended the series on a bitter note when Alyssa Thomas was retroactively suspended for landing on Caitlin Clark, pushing her fist into Clark’s throat and then stepping over her.
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Since then, Thomas has detailed the death threats she’s received from fans following the play and what she deemed to be the WNBA’s inaction.
Cunningham has stoked the fire between the teams on her podcast, alleging that she still knows people in the Mercury organization who don’t like the current roster.
“Like nobody likes their team this year and they say that they’re the unfriendliest group,” Cunningham said. “So we’re not the only ones who feel that way. Internal people feel that way, too.”
Following the homestand, the Mercury will travel to Las Vegas for the third meeting with the Aces.
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Las Vegas made the Commissioner’s Cup championship game after finishing with the best record in the Western Conference from June 1-17, but fell to the New York Liberty June 30, 93-85.
Entering their Thursday, July 2, home matchup with the Seattle Storm, Phoenix star Kahleah Copper was averaging 20.1 points per game, with Thomas contributing 14.7 points, 8.4 assists and 6.6 rebounds.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mercury to renew hostile rivalry with Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
